


True Love's Kiss

by umauzumaki



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), The Isle of the Lost Series - Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: F/M, Huma - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:21:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24160489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/umauzumaki/pseuds/umauzumaki
Summary: How does a girl from the Isle even admit she's in love?
Relationships: Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants), Doug/Evie (Disney: Descendants), Harry Hook/Uma
Comments: 15
Kudos: 74





	1. Sleepless Nights

Uma was used to sleepless nights.

She spent her life plotting and planning her way to freedom. It was almost impossible to rest after long days of fighting for territory (by any means necessary) as she claimed her spot on the Isle. When she was trapped on the other side of the barrier without her crew, she spent her days and nights alert, searching for ways to set her people free. Short respites of sleep were all too familiar. She had grown so accustomed to fighting for a way off the isle that she never allowed her mind to linger on other things.

The barrier coming down changed that. It changed everything instantly and drastically. Though her days were still busy working with King Ben and Evie to create and implement an integration plan for the children of the Isle, her nights had changed. She wasn’t fighting for her life or the lives of the other people around her so she didn’t have to dwell on or overanalyze every angle of her plans. She had the support of the kingdom behind her. Other people were involved, working (almost) as hard as she was to guarantee a true future for every kid that left that godforsaken isle. She finally found herself able to breathe. As she grew more at ease with her external world, buried feelings started to rise to the forefront. Always the focused girl she was, Uma had time to address what was going on in her heart.

Her sleepless nights started to revolve around Harry.

She hated it! Uma wasn’t used to feeling like a ridiculous teenage girl with a crush on a cute boy. But she knew it was more than that. Harry could never be just a crush to her. He was her first mate, her oldest and most loyal friend—the one person who always believed in her and never abandoned her. He was her other half. And he was never just a friend. There had always been an attraction between them that neither of them denied. They always leaned into it, closer to each other. He made her heart race when he gazed into her eyes with his light blue pools and breathed her name. She could feel the desire roll off him in waves when she ran her fingers through his hair or even just returned his piercing gaze. What existed between them was something stronger than the constraints of the isle. An unspoken love that anyone could see. Harry was her sails and she was his anchor. Uma looked down at the bracelet on her wrist, with its one small red bead, and smiled. Harry was hers.

But she laid restless because she knew that things couldn’t just stay unspoken between them anymore. Unfortunately, with all her courage and skills, she didn’t know how to speak what was on her heart. She didn’t want to look like a fool if it turned out things had changed for Harry while the barrier kept them apart. She couldn’t stop contemplating how a girl from the Isle admits she’s in love. Even Evie and Mal needed True Love’s Kiss…


	2. Wanting Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uma thinks back to when she really starting wanting Harry and wonders about things now.

Uma never imagined something could be easier on the isle, but truth be told, things with Harry were. It wasn’t really Auradon that was the problem. It was the year they had spent apart. She thought back to that time. She had longed for Harry every day that he wasn’t at her side. She missed hearing her name on his lips and the cool feeling of his hook on her skin. She missed the hints of madness in his eyes that only she could tame. She missed their banter and the little game of cat and mouse they always played. But most of all, she just missed his presence. He was the only constant in her life that mattered. Because of Harry, Uma had never been alone. He stuck by her when she was at her lowest point and never pitied her for it. He just stayed with her and trusted that she’d build something no one could break. He trusted that she’d take him somewhere no one could reach. He let her be his captain when they had no boat and no crew, and they built it from the ground up. 

She didn’t know what loneliness felt like until she was separated from him. Though Uma had a world to explore, everything about it was wrong. Her crew was supposed to be here too. He was supposed to be at her side. There was nothing in all the land that could replace Harry. It drove her a little mad. She started to crave him in ways she didn’t know were possible. She could feel things rise in her that she recognized only because they matched what swirled in his gaze. 

When he and Gil finally made it across the barrier, she got back to him as quickly as possible. When their eyes met, she felt herself reveal a small bit of her weakness for him. He seemed to recognize that she was granting him permission for something he'd always wanted before. She let him touch her more freely. As such, he took every opportunity to do so. He used his hands to remind her that he was there as her comfort, but it seemed it was also to convince himself that she wasn't just something he dreamed up. If she thought she had gone slightly crazy without him, she could see that he was unhinged. He was never meant to lead their crew alone and she could see the weight it put on him. Seeing her lifted the weight some but touching her made it disappear completely. It was like he needed the physical assurance that she was near to keep himself grounded. 

She liked that, a little… 

She would have liked it more if he hadn’t also become so quickly forgetful. If she wasn’t within arm’s reach, he’d start flirting with whatever pretty thing came near him. Flirting was nothing new for Harry. He had always used his looks to manipulate and frighten people. But something about the way he flirted with the Auradon girls irked her. Perhaps it was a consequence of being without her for a year, but it felt like he was searching for something to cling to. He was just a boat drifting away at sea until Uma was in his immediate proximity. He didn't seem to remember where his place was until they locked eyes. Still, every time they did, she saw the storm calm within him, and it felt like he was coming back to her. She wondered if he could see the sparks of anger and jealousy that flashed in hers before she could stop them. This new dynamic was not what she wanted. She wanted his devotion as she had it before.

Uma realized they both just needed time to find their footing together again.

Maybe she should have just let him kiss her the day the barrier went down. Maybe it was what he needed to come back to her fully. Maybe it was what she needed. She probably could have avoided being in this weird position now of wanting him in silence if she had. She almost let him do it. But it couldn’t happen like that. The kiss he offered her was cheap. A careless attempt to regain her favor in the moment. Their first kiss needed to be more than that. 

With a sigh, Uma realized she was going to need help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading! I really appreciate people giving this baby fic a chance :)


	3. Girl Bonding Time

  
If there was anyone Uma was going to ask to help her, it was Evie. They had been working side by side for weeks helping Ben and the Council of Sidekicks. It was almost surprising how quickly their friendship had grown. Uma respected Evie. Despite her perfect princess persona, she never backed down when the heroes challenged their plans. She used her charm and velvet voice to lower their defenses and ease them into trusting Uma and accepting most of the measures she thought needed to be in place for any of this to be a success. As advocates for the VKs, they complemented each other well. 

“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for you to ask for a girls’ day, Uma!” Evie exclaimed as she opened the door to her cottage. 

Uma walked in and followed her to the kitchen. She had to admit that Evie had a nice place. The stone cottage was beautiful, with arched doorways and light-blue accents that made it feel inviting. It was a real home. For people interested in staying on land at least. No matter where you looked, there was something that drew you in more, much like Evie herself. 

When they got to their destination, Uma was surprised to find the marble island was filled with makeup, nail polish and other cosmetics.

“Umm, I asked if you could help me with something in private, not give me a makeover.” Uma said.

Evie laughed. “I know, but it sounded like you needed some girl time and I love bonding over makeup.”

“Of course you do,” Uma replied while rolling her eyes. “Fine.” She reached over and grabbed the container of makeup remover she saw. “I guess I’ll give you a clean palate.”

When she was done. Evie walked over with foundation and asked, “So what did you really need my help with?”

“Just some advice. You and Doug have been together for a while, right?” Uma inquired. “Why’d you wait so long to tell him you loved him? You don’t exactly seem like the type to run away from affection.”

“No,” Evie said as a small smile formed on her lips thinking about Doug. “But showing love and admitting it out loud are two different things.” She used a sponge to blend the foundation on Uma’s face. “As much as I knew in my heart that I loved Doug and he loved me back, I couldn’t say it. Every time I opened my mouth to try, something just stopped me at the last second.”

Uma could relate to that. She and Harry were together at some point every day, but she still hadn’t told him how she felt. She’d gotten close. 

_Two nights before, they were back at the Lost Revenge working on repairs. With the barrier destroyed, magic was back, and Uma had been using hers to fix what human hands couldn’t. While in her cecaelia form, she searched the waters for large pieces of wreckage so she could join both sides of the ship. She had just emerged from the water with the wreckage in her tentacles and began reciting the incantation to join the missing pieces. Harry was making minor repairs when he stopped to lean over the port and watch her in awe. “Yer magnificent darling,” he said, more to himself than to anyone else. Uma looked up and their eyes met. The look in his eyes was intense, with longing at the surface. She raised herself to his eye level and ran her fingers through his hair. He melted at her touch. She tried to say I love you, but “Get back to work,” came out instead…_

“In a way, we probably got lucky with True Love’s Kiss,” Evie said with a chuckle pulling Uma’s attention back to her. “We were both kind of insecure about the whole thing. “

“Why?” Uma wondered. 

“We’re not Ben and Mal,” Evie started as she picked up some highlighter.

Uma cut her off and said, “What, codependent?” sharply. Evie raised her eyebrow. “Sorry,” Uma said after a second. “My first instinct is still to criticize Mal. I’m learning!”

Evie gave her an understanding look.

“They were the first of us to really confront this whole ‘love’ question,” Uma admitted.

“Yeah,” Evie began, “but their situation really forced them to, and no, I don’t mean you showing up.” She finished her work with the highlighter and grabbed a small brush to blend it. “Ben’s the king. He can’t casually date. From the start, there’ve been expectations and a timeline for them in people’s minds.”

Uma considered that thought. She remembered watching Mal and Ben on TV when they first started dating. They were everywhere, touring other kingdoms in Auradon and constantly holding press conferences together. At the time, she felt like Mal was mocking her, flaunting how she’d won freedom and the king as her prize. For the first time though, she thought about how quickly Mal was painted as the future queen. Honestly, it was weird. Suddenly, Uma understood how the pressure of it could have been overwhelming for any sixteen-year-old girl.

“Yeah,” Uma said at last.

“Me and Doug didn’t have those expectations on us, so we took our time. Really, we’re still taking our time now,” Evie admitted. “We were both just afraid of saying something too soon and pressuring the other one into something they weren’t ready for.”

“Yeah,” Uma said again. She stayed silent for a while after that and just let the other girl continue with her makeup. She closed her eyes while Evie added a teal colored eyeliner and gold shadow. When she opened them, she noticed something in the way Evie was looking at her. 

“It’s ok to take your time with Harry,” Evie said, revealing that she wasn’t blind to whom Uma was thinking of with her choice of discussion. 

Uma didn’t deny it.

“You don’t have to start with ‘I love you,’” she continued as she applied some lip gloss. “Perfect,” she whispered softly. She reached for a mirror on the island and handed it to Uma. “Why not just a date?”

Uma looked at her face and appreciated the work Evie had done. It reminded her of how she felt in the ocean, confident and beautiful. “Thanks,” she said. She pondered what Evie said for a moment. Dating wasn’t an isle thing, but neither was love. “I can do a date,” she finally decided.

“Great!” Evie exclaimed. “Now, you do mine and I’ll help you plan your first date. Why don’t you tell me more about Harry Hook.”


	4. Tell Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting inside Harry's head!

Harry Hook knew that he was in love with Uma the first time he saw her. 

_He was sitting on the docks when a bright flash of turquoise caught his eye. A girl. It was raining and the mist it formed as it bounced off her body almost seemed to glow. She was small and moved silently as she glided through the puddles. She was humming a gentle tune to herself, but Harry felt like she was calling out to him. He could faintly remember a warning he’d heard about the dangers of getting lured by a siren, but he figured none of that magic was real here within the barrier. He barely believed in any magic but something about this girl made him reconsider. Her hair was like the ocean he saw in his dreams. The sounds of his footsteps splashing on the pavement filled his head. He needed to get closer. Soon, he was in front of her, taking in the full sight of his goddess. She seemed annoyed that anyone would block her path, so he removed this hat and bowed down to her to show he was no threat. The action made her laugh, a wonderful sound to his ears._

_“Do you need something from me, pirate?” she asked while his head was still low._

_“I need only a name, darling,” he replied making eye contact as he rose. Harry thought her eyes looked like an abyss he’d loved to get lost in. She cocked her eyebrow and returned his gaze._

_“What’s my name?” she said and considered him for a moment. “What do I get if I answer?”_

_“What do ye want?” he asked without hesitation._

_That made her laugh again. “Not too cautious, are you?” she wondered with a smirk. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you to not to make a deal with a sea witch?”_

_Ahh, so she’s Ursula’s daughter, he thought. She didn’t look much like Ursula or any witch at all. Goddess was the only accurate description for the small, but powerful girl before him. “I cannae imagine a deal I’d make with ye that I’d regret,” he said after a moment._

_That brought another laugh from the girl. “I could use a henchman,” she thought aloud…_

_“And here I am,” he finished._

_“Just like that? You’ll work for me just to learn my name?” Uma questioned._

_“Ye’ve already noticed, I’m nae too cautious about this sort of thing,” he replied with a wink. “So…”_

_“What’s my name? Uma,” she told him at last._

_“Uma,” he echoed. “Harry Hook at yer service.”_

_She rolled her eyes but kept a smile on her face. “Come on then, you’re walking me home.”_

_It was the first of many orders she would give him, but Harry didn’t mind. He knew he’d never want to be without her again._

Then they were apart for a year.

It was difficult year for Harry. 

First and foremost, he was worried about Uma. The last time she was out for long without him, Mal tried to crush her. He blamed himself for not being there to protect her from that snake while they were young. He never liked Mal, and every time the girls got together, Harry made himself useful somewhere else. He always thought she brought out the worst in Uma and preferred to avoid it. If he had only suffered through her presence, Uma might never have been embarrassed. “Shrimpy” might not have ever been born. But at least he was there for her in the aftermath. After the cotillion, Uma was alone on the other side of the barrier and Mal was the “champion” trying to lock her up.

Then on top of that, he suddenly became the leader of their crew. As first mate, he had assumed the captain’s position in Uma’s absence. He hated every second of it! It just wasn’t in him to lead other people, but he couldn’t disappoint Uma. He didn’t attempt to lead them the way that she did, but he kept them together and did his best to keep moral up. For everyone else, Harry used his looks and unpredictable behavior to manipulate people and keep control of their territory. 

The worry and the work threw him off kilter more than ever. He barely recognized himself in the mirror anymore. He needed Uma back. She had always been his rock and even when his mind ran wild, seeing her would pull him back down to earth.

When he and Gil saw there was a chance to escape and find Uma, they jumped for it, literally. Nothing made Harry happier than to see her within moments of crossing over. She was always close, he thought. She looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her before. Truly embodying the goddess he had always known. When they locked eyes for the first time, he could see that something in her ached for him too, and he used every opportunity he could to assure her that she’d never be alone again. He grabbed her, rubbed her shoulders, hugged her—did nearly every physical thing he could to prove his devotion to her. It all also helped to remind himself that everything that was happening wasn’t just in his head. He’d imagined hearing her voice and seeing her turquoise hair whip around a corner on the isle enough times to drive a man mad. Feeling her skin beneath his was an assurance that she was real. They both welcomed the reminder.

Unfortunately, some other habits of the last year were slow to fade. It was hard to “turn off” who he’d been while Uma was gone, and he continued to flirt with every powerful woman he came across. For a while, it still felt like he needed to use his looks to assure alliances for his crew. Seeing Uma brought him out of it, but he noticed anger in her eyes every time they met. Flirting with other people was not the thing she wanted to see him do, but he couldn’t control it. A few weeks had passed before he was fully able to stop and accept what was right in front of him. Uma was back and they were free! Everything was different.

As he grew more comfortable with freedom, he realized the constraints of the isle didn’t need to hold him back anymore. 

He’d never hidden his desire for Uma. Their relationship had always been openly flirtatious, and Harry gladly drew close to the tipping point with her. But they never crossed the line. The isle was not a place for love to survive so Harry had always kept his mouth shut about that. They’d never admitted real feelings for each other. They had never kissed. 

If he looked at their relationship from someone else’s perspective, they might not see what was different in the way he gazed at her. Given his recent behavior, some could argue flirting that was simply Harry’s way of showing her respect. He didn’t like to think Uma might believe that. She had always been more to him and he hoped that the anger he saw in her eyes when he flirted with other girls was a sign of something brewing inside of her too. 

Harry Hook knew that he was in love with Uma the first time he saw her and finally, he felt like he could tell her.


	5. Easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this has taken forever to update! It's been a terrible time for me and my family personally due to the recent loss of my niece. 
> 
> I've spent a lot more time distracting myself reading rather than writing but the second inspiration came back to me, I wanted to update this! I hope you all enjoy!

It should have been easy to ask Harry on a date. 

She only needed one moment to ask one question. 

But as fate would have it, she hadn’t gotten to have one moment with Harry in weeks. No matter where she went, she never seemed to be alone anymore. 

Her day with Evie was the last peaceful day she was able to have before the craziness started. As soon as the next week began, her workload quadrupled. For reasons unknown, Mal and Ben decided they needed to be married before the end of the summer. Planning the royal wedding became the top priority for the kingdom and the transition work for the kids of the Isle fell on her shoulders. Sure, they’d made a lot of progress with the council, but there was still a lot of manual work that needed to be done. A plan on paper cannot predict the actions of people. With the young king now groom and Evie working hard as Maid of Honor, Uma was given the reigns to make their plan work and keep the people in line. 

She kind of liked it. 

She was a good leader and she cared about the wellbeing of the people in Auradon and the Isle ( _well most of them_ ). She was respected and few hesitated when she gave an order. Still, she couldn’t help but be a little annoyed about how it all played out. She didn’t understand how planning one day could take so much attention from so many different people. They could have spread out the work evenly instead of assuming Uma could do it all. The more responsibilities she had, the less freedom. She barely had time to sleep let alone worry about other things. She was supposed to be finishing up her ship with her crew and traveling the world. She was supposed to have time to focus on the love in her life. She was supposed to have that date with Harry. Instead, she was responsible for everyone else. 

She felt a strange mix of pride, in the work she was doing, and impatience wondering when she’d be able to make herself a priority. When they all made it off the Isle, she thought she was finally there, but the kids still needed her help and the wedding stalled her progress. When she got married, it was going to be simple. She didn’t need the extravagance Ben and Mal were planning. It just needed to be her, Harry and the crew.

_Wait, what?_ That thought scared her. 

She hadn’t even had a date with Harry, but she was already imagining their wedding. Uma could tell being overworked and sleep deprived was getting to her. 

At least Harry stayed close.

They hadn’t gotten the chance to have a private conversation in weeks, but he was still around. Uma had the feeling he wanted to tell her something but didn’t have the chance to. More than once, she noticed him looking at her from across the room and start towards her only for someone new to pull her attention elsewhere. Every time it happened, she’d look back to where he’d been and find that he was gone. 

There was something in his eyes that confused her at those times. Determination. 

She hoped the day was coming soon when she would find out why. Until then, she had to keep going.

Uma was working with Fairy Godmother to finalize the room arrangements for the VKs that would be old enough to attend the school. Everyone deserved a chance to show they were good but putting known enemies in the same room seemed like the wrong first step. She was excited because this was one of the few things left on her list.

“Only three more days until the wedding!” Mal exclaimed as she burst through the doors of Auradon Prep.

“And it will bippity boppity be the best wedding the kingdom has ever seen,” Fairy Godmother said as she rushed to the soon-to-be queen’s side. The two shared a small hug when Mal turned to see Uma.

“Uma!” she near shouted. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Uma eyed her suspiciously and asked “Why?”

“First, to say thank you for everything you’ve done here. I don’t know how I would’ve handled planning this wedding without Evie’s help and I know she was only able to help me because you are here taking care of things for the VKs,” Mal replied. 

Uma looked back at the girl shocked. She didn’t expect Mal to acknowledge the load she had taken upon herself, let alone thank her for it. _I guess people really do change._

“Second,” Mal began before Uma could respond to the first, “I wanted to see if you were bringing a date to the wedding.” 

A date? She thought. She hadn’t considered bringing a date to the event. It could be the perfect opening for her and Harry. But…

“You invited the entire kingdom, what would me bringing a date change?” Uma asked.

“Well since you’re a bridesmaid, we want to make sure seating for your date at the reception and ceremony is arranged so they can stay close to you,” Mal explained as if it was obvious.

“Bridesmaid?” Uma questioned. She had said yes to a lot of things in the last few weeks, but she didn’t remember saying yes to being a part of the wedding.

“We talked about it last week. Doug, Jay and Carlos are the groomsmen. You, Evie and Jane are the bridesmaids. You said you didn’t have time for a fitting, but Gil could give Evie your measurements for your dress…”

Uma remembered that half of the conversation but somehow missed the beginning. She tried to remember what was happening when they talked. 

That’s right, Harry.

_It was one of the days when she noticed him watching her._

_They made eye contact and she smiled at him from across the room. She nodded her head for him to come over and determination sparked in his eyes as he started approaching. But this time, his attention was pulled away because of a pink-haired princess calling his name._

_Audrey the villainous AK._

_Uma remembered the brief dance Harry and Audrey shared the day the barrier went down after she rejected his kiss. She watched their interaction closely. Harry didn’t seem interested in talking to her. His gaze kept returning to Uma’s with an almost apologetic look in his eyes._

_Audrey, however, seemed to be flirting. They weren’t close enough to hear but the princess’ body language said it all. She touched his arm and played with her hair while they talked. Uma wondered what she could want from Harry. From what she remembered of her diary and the mess that occurred only a month before, she knew the girl was still hung up on Ben. Wasn’t she?_

_Uma couldn’t take her eyes off the scene even when Mal and Evie walked over and started rambling. She didn’t hear what they were saying at first, but she did catch something about a dress. She turned to join the conversation for a minute and when she looked back up both Harry and Audrey were gone._

“I don’t know yet,” Uma said at last to Mal.

Mal looked at her slightly confused. “Do you think you’ll know by tonight?”

“Yes,” Uma replied confidently. The pressure of a deadline will make this easier she thought. 

“Great! And don’t forget my Bachelorette slumber party is the day after tomorrow!” Mal said and ran off.

_Slumber party?_ Uma pondered until she caught a glimpse of someone in red walking into the building.

When their eyes met, she knew that this was her only chance. She rushed over and grabbed his arm. Pulling him out of the school and into a wall, Uma spared no time for niceties. 

“Harry, will you be my date for Ben and Mal’s wedding?” she asked at last and waited for the boy to respond.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This is the first thing I've written in 7 years so it might be terrible.


End file.
